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PCs to fund four surge beds at Georgian Bay General Hospital

Funding aim is to help reduce strain on health-care system during this year’s flu season
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(stock photo)

NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PC PARTY
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QUEEN'S PARK – Our government is taking another step toward ending hallway health care for families and patients in Simcoe North with the most recent announcement to provide Georgian Bay General Hospital $242,000 in funding for surge beds.

The funding will be given to GBGH to use toward four surge beds for a four-month period in order to reduce the strain on the health care system during this year’s flu season.

MPP Jill Dunlop was pleased with the news that her riding was receiving the funding, stating that she understands the health care system is facing significant capacity challenges which is contributing to the use of unconventional spaces for patient care.

“It is important that patients are able to access quality, safe care and with this additional surge bed funding, our government is once again illustrating their commitment to improve capacity and develop innovative solutions and approaches to the current challenges we are seeing in the health care system,” said Dunlop.

Funding for beds and spaces were selected based on the areas where hospitals act as regional support centres as well as ones with the highest capacity pressures. New beds and spaces were evaluated on high priority areas and ability to increase capacity in and outside of a hospital setting.

This follows the announcement made by the government in early October that Ontario would be moving forward with building 6,000 new long-term care beds across Ontario as part of the first wave of more than 15,000 new long-term care beds that the government committed to building over the next 5 years.

The $242,000 surge funding for GBGH was announced after the original announcement that Simcoe North was receiving a total of 22 new long-term care beds – 19 new beds at the Villa Care Centre in Midland and 3 new beds at the Georgian Manor Home for the Aged in Penetanguishene.

“Our government will continue to listen to the people who plan and work on the front lines of our health care system as we continue to develop a long-term comprehensive health system capacity plan,” said MPP Dunlop.

“We know that long wait lists for a bed in a long-term care home can create added pressures in other parts of our health-care system, like our hospitals. We are working to end hallway health care and we are taking urgent action to expand access for patients across Ontario.”

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